Combination doorknob



May 21, 1940. P. A. KEITH COMBINATION DOORKNOB Filed April 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORN EYS May 21, 1 940. P, 51111 2,201,494

comsmnxon noommos Filed April 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY m zmra ATTORNEYS Patented May 21, 1940 ennui" OFFICE 3 Claims.

' The invention relates to a combination doorknob and more particularly to combination looks.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a doorknob of this character, wherein a combination lock is in association therewith so that the door or other swinging part adapted for locking can not be opened from the outside of an enclosure except by one having knowledge of the combination of such lock and the latter is susceptible of manual manipulation from without for arriving at the combination and efiective for the unlatching or unlocking of the door.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a doorknob of this character, wherein the combination mechanism is built within the knob located at the outside of a door and this mechanism is susceptible of actuation so that a person having knowledge of the combination of the mechanism may operate such mechanism in the dark for the unlocking or unlatching of said door from without an enclosure.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a doorknob of this character, wherein the construction and assembly are novel in toto and on installation assures perfect safety against unauthorized entry to the enclosure, the combination mechanism being susceptible of adjustment to varying combinations and thereby eliminating the chance of a persons gaining knowledge of the combination for the operation of the said mechanism successfully for making unauthorized entry to an enclosure, particularly should knowledge be obtained of the preset combination for the successful operation of the look by one unscrupulous.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a doorknob of this character, wherein the combination mechanism can be rendered inactive by manipulation of a knob at the inner side of the door, the combination mechanism being in the knob at the outside of the door so that such door can be unlatched both from the inside and outside without effect from the combination mechanism. 1

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a doorknob of this character, which is comparatively simple in its construction, thoroughly reliable and efiicient in operation, assuring protection to unauthorized intrusion to an enclosure, strong, durable and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in (or. iii-mo the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereiu'ito appended.

In the accompanying drawings? Figure l is a fragmentary edge elevation looking toward the lock end of a door showing the doorknob constructed in accordance with the invention applied.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the knob looking toward the outside of the door.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through the knob showing in detail the combination mechanism in normalcy.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the combination mechanism actuated for the unlatching or unlocking of the door.

Figure 5; is a sectional view taken on the lin 5-5 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure .6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of- Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure '7 is an elevation of one section of an actuator ring looking toward the inner face thereof.

Figure 8 is an edge elevation partly broken away of one of the dials of the combination mechanism.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through one of the actuator disks of said combination mechanism.

Figure 10 is an inner end elevation of the key of the combination mechanism.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on the line Ii-H of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary detail plan view of one of the actuating disks and adjuncts.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, -A designates generally a portion of a door, being conventional and having fitted in the latching edge thereof a latch casing it) for latch mechanism including a latching bolt II in association with other adjuncts (not shown). This latching bolt ii coacts with a striker and keeper plate (not shown) in the usual well-'known'manner.

Passed transversely through the door and latch casing is a turning. spindle I2. The door has clearances i3 for the spindle while the casing II] has journaled therein a part hi for receiving the spindle l2 and serving to actuate the latch bolt iii II. The spindle I2 for a distance of its length is screw threaded at I5 while the entire length of said spindle I2 is flat faced at I6.

At the outside and inside faces of the door A are escutcheons I! and I8, respectively, which are fastened in place and together by fastening bolts I9. The escutcheons I1 and I8 are centrally bored for clearances and in one thereof is accommodated a sleeve 29, that is, in the clearance in the escutcheon I8, and this sleeve is slidably displaceable in the said clearance in the escutcheon I8. Fixed to the spindle I2 is an inside doorknob 2I, being in threaded engagement with the threads I5 on said spindle l2. Adjustably threaded on the spindle I2 is an abutment collar 22 carrying a set screw 23 holding it in adjusted position and this collar is engageable by the sleeve 29 for a purpose presently described.

Surrounding the hub extension 24 of the escutcheon I8 is an actuator ring 25, being turnable in an annular seat 26 provided in the said hub portion 24 and this actuator ring is in two parts separably fastened to each other. Interiorly of the ring at diametrically opposite points thereof are cam slots 21' in which are engaged cam screws 28, which are fastened in the sleeve 29. The ring 25 is turnable on the hub portion 24 of the escutcheon I8 to shift the sleeve 29 which abuts the abutment collar 22 so that the spindle I 2 can be shifted in the direction of its length for a purpose presently described. I

At the outside of the door A is an outside doorknob 29 being of separable sections or parts, one of which has threaded connection with the reduced externally threaded end of a turning barrel or sleeve 30 rotatably accommodated within the clearance in the hub portion '3I of the escutcheon IT. This barrel or sleeve 39 has swivel connection in the escutcheon I! by an outturned annular flange 32 formed on said barrel or sleeve and socketed within the said escutcheon. Slidably fitted within the barrel or sleeve 30 is a plunger-acting key 33 having a latching nib 34 at its inner end for actuation in a keeper slot 35 in the spindle I2 at the end next to said key. The knob 29 is socketed at 36 for a push button 3! fitting the same and being secured to the key 33 at its outer end. Acting against the button 31 is a coiled expansion spring 38, being coiled about the key 33 and concealed within the knob 29. This spring normally holds the button 31 outwardly protruded from the knob 29 and the nib 34 disengaged from the slot 35 so that the key 33 will be inactive for the turning of the spindle I2 when in this position.

Within a recess 39 in the knob 29 and concentrically disposed about the sleeve 39 and the key 33 therein is a combination mechanism hereinafter fully described.

The combination mechanism comprises a series of dials 49, each having peripherally formed ratchet teeth M and ratchet lugs 42, respectively. The lugs 42 are uniformly spaced from each other and are concentric to a center arbor 43 of screw type for the dial 49 which is adapted for rotation thereon. These dials are arranged uniformly spaced from each other in their concentric relationship within the knob 29 and are rotatable on the arbors 43 fixed within said knob. Connected with each dial 49 is a coiled tensioning spring 44 which has fixed connection with the knob 29 and is countersunk within a. section of said knob while indicated concentrically about each dial within the knob are digits ranging consecutively from zero to nine and these digits are in register with the ratchet teeth 4| peripherally of said dial for setting a combination number thereby.

Located concentrically about the sleeve or barrel 39 and the key 33 within the knob 29 intermediate with relation to the dials 49 and slightly protruded outwardly from the outer periphery of the knob 29 are actuator disks 56, being rotatable and have fixed thereto actuator arms 45, the disks 56 being provided with arcuate shaped slots 46 in which are received stop pins 41 fixed in the knob 29 and these pins 4! limit the turning movement of said disks. The actuator arms cooperate with the ratchet lugs 42 on the dials 49 for efiecting a step by step rotation of said dials 49 on actuation in a clockwise direction of the respective disks 56. One of the disks 56 has formed thereon a peripheral protuberance 48, being a marker for identifying that particular disk as the starting disk for the operation of the combination mechanism and indicative that the other disks in the series be operated in sequence in a clockwise direction for the successful operation of the combination mechanism.

Each arbor 43 is surrounded by a bushing 49 which constitutes the hub for the turning of the dial 49 thereon and engaged upon this arbor and overlying the dial next thereto is a pointer or indicator 59, being held fixed by the bushing 49 when the screw arbor 43 is tightened and this pointer or indicator coacts with the dial next thereto for limiting the turning thereof and in the setting of the combination of the combination mechanism. The dials 49 have formed therein close to the outer peripheries thereof holes 52, which, on the turning of the dials, are brought into a certain grouped relationship to receive pins 53 common to said holes and fitting in the push button 31 so that by such reception the push button 3'! can be pushed inwardly moving with it the key 33 to have the nib 34 engage in the slot 35 in the spindle I2 and thus by the turning of the knob 29 the spindle can be actuated for unlatching the door A.

The key 33 has a guide and retaining pin 54 being disposed crosswise thereof and playing within opposed elongated slots, one being indicated at 55, provided in the sleeve 30. This pin 54 prevents removal of the knob 29 from the sleeve or barrel 30 and also avoids gaining access to the combination mechanism within said knob 29 except when the said pin 54 is brought into alignment with removable plugs 51 threaded in suitable openings therefor provided in the hub portion 3I of the escutcheon IT. This registering of the pin 54 takes place only when the button 34 has been pushed inwardly of the knob 29 and this can oly come about when the pins 53 are aligned with the holes 52 in the dials 49 after the' actuation of the latter.

Rotatable with the dial 4!] about the arbors 43 are interrupter blanks 58, these being selectively adjustable between the ratchet lugs 42 and avoid activity of the actuator arms 45 when the said blanks 58 are in confronting position to the said arms so that the disks 56 are cut on from activity of manipulating said dials. These interrupter blanks 58 are for preventing the dials 49 from rotating beyond a single cycle in that they interrupt the action of the actuator arms 45 on the dials 49.

The dials 49 carry stop pins 59 coacting with the indicators or pointers 59 which latter are susceptible of manual adjustment for changing the numbers of the combination in the working III) of the dials 40 of the combination mechanism. Each of the disks 56 has opening through the periphery thereof a circular recess 8|] which provides a clearance for a lug 6| fixedly held in the knob 29 and this lug holds a dual acting spring 62, one end 63 being effective as a springy ratchet pawl for the ratchet teeth 4! of an adjacent dial 40 while the other end 64 acts against an abutment 65 on the disk 56. The end 63 is acted upon by an abutment 65 on the disk 56 so that this end 63 of the spring 62 can be made clear of the ratchet teeth 4| on movement of the disk 58 as is clearly shown in Figure 12 of the drawings. When the dial 40 is freed by the end 63 of the spring '52, the said dial can return to normalcy under the action of the spring 44 on completing a cycle of rotation.

The end 64 of the spring 62 is active on the disk 56 to return it to normalcy after being actuated.

The parts of the knob 29 are separably fastened to each other by a fastener 66, the latter being only accessible when the push button 3'! has been removed from the socket 35 in the outermost part of the knob 29.

When the key 33 is disengaged from the spindle l2, the actuation of the knob 29 at the outer side of the door A will not unlatch the said door. only when the key 33 is engaged with the spindle l2 excepting that when the ring 25 is turned to move the sleeve 20 in a direction to engage with the abutment collar 22 it causes the spindle 2 to be shifted so that the said spindle will be clutched with thekey 33 and in this manner by manipulating the knobs 2| and 29 at either side of the door, the latter can be unlatched either at the inner side or at the outer side of the door.

What is claimed is:

1. A door fitting comprising a pair of axially and rotatably movable interlocking spindles, knobs fitting said spindles, one knob being fixed to one spindle and the other knob slidably receiving the other spindle, independent means activeon each of said spindles for moving the same axially relative to each other for releasably interlocking thereof, a push button included with one of the first-named means, connected to one spindle and slidably counter-seated in the knob slidably receiving said spindle, means coacting with the spindles for holding the same against This door is unlatched from the outside axial movement, and permutation mechanism confined within and operable without one knob peripherally thereof for controlling the firstnamed means. common thereto.

2. A door fitting comprising a pair of escutcheons fixed to opposite sides of thedoor, sleeves fitting said escutcheons, one sleeve being slidable and the other rotatable, axially and rotatably movable interlocking spindles accommodated in said sleeves, turning knobs, one knob being fixed to one spindle and the other knob fixed to the rotatable sleeve, the knob fixed to the spindle being slidable and rotatable relative to the escutcheon next thereto, the other knob being rotatably fitted with the other escutcheon, a push button fixed to one spindle and counterseated in the knob adjacent thereto for imparting axial movement to the said spindle, permutation mechanism cooperating with said push button for controlling movement thereof and operable at the knob next to said push button, a cam ring for operating the slidable sleeve, and an abutment adjustably fixed to the spindle having the knob fixed thereto and in the path of movement of the slidable sleeve.

3. A door fitting comprising a pair of escutcheons fixed to opposite sides of the door, sleeves fitting said escutcheons, one sleeve being slidable and the other rotatable, axially and rotatably movable interlocking spindles accommodated in said sleeves, turning knobs, one knob being fixed to one spindle and the other knob fixed to the rotatable sleeve, the knob fixed to the spindle being slidable and rotatable relative to the escutcheon next thereto, the other knob being rotatably fitted with the other escutcheon, a push button fixed to one spindle and counterseated in the knob adjacent thereto for imparting axial movement to the said spindle, permutation mechanism cooperating with said push button for controlling movement thereof and operable at the knob next to said push button, a cam ring for operating the slidable sleeve, an abutment adjustably fixed to the spindle having the knob fixed thereto and in the path of movement of the slidable sleeve, and a pin coupling the rotatable sleeve with the spindle having the push button fixed thereto and concealed by the escutcheon having the rotatable sleeve fitted therewith.

PERCY A. KEITH. 

